On 15 April 2021, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Yevheniy Yenin had a telephone conversation with Counselor of the U.S. Department of State Derek Chollet.

The parties discussed the situation, caused by Russia's massive military build-up on the border with Ukraine and in the temporary occupied Crimea, the issues of countering the realization of the Russian geopolitical project Nord Stream 2, and further development of bilateral cooperation between Ukraine and the United States.

Yevheniy Yenin expressed gratitude to the American side for the staunch support of Ukraine in countering Russian aggression and US leadership in consolidating the international efforts to make Russia follow the fundamental principles of international law.  

The Deputy Foreign Minister underlined the importance of United States reaction to Russia’s aggressive actions and thanked for the additional sanctions introduced today against the Kremlin.   

It has been emphasized that the Russian energy sector is the main source of Kremlin`s financial resources which are used by Russia for aggressions and carrying out operations aimed at destabilization of the situation in different regions of the world, election interference and cyber-attacks.

Derek Chollet reiterated President Biden’s position that “Nord Stream 2 is a bad deal for Europe”.

The parties also discussed Ukraine’s progress in implementing structural internal transformations. The Counselor of State Department underscored that the United States firmly supports Ukraine’s reform agenda and is ready to continue to provide necessary assistance.